* The Games: The Ferris State University women's basketball team plays its final two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) games this week. FSU hosts Hillsdale at Jim Wink Arena in its regular-season home finale this Wednesday (Feb. 22) night at 6 p.m. (ET) before visiting archrival Grand Valley State for the final regular-season game on Saturday (Feb. 25) also at 6 p.m. (ET) in Allendale.

* Home Ticket Info: Ferris State home basketball tickets are sold on gameday at Wink Arena and are $7 for adults or $5 for FSU faculty/staff, senior (ages 65+) and students K-12. Current FSU students are admitted free by showing a valid student ID card. For more ticket info, please call the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888 or visit the official FSU website at www.FerrisStateBulldogs.com.

* Media Coverage: Both games will be carried live by the Bulldog Sports Network with Rob Bentley calling the play-by-play action and Sandy Gholston offering color commentary. They will be accessible online at www.FerrisStateBulldogs.com along with a live pay-per-view video webcast and live internet statistics. Thursday's game will be carried live on Sunny 97.3 FM with Saturday's broadcast on the internet only due to coverage of FSU Hockey. Visit the FSU Athletics website at www.FerrisStateBulldogs.com for a complete listing of links.

* GLIAC Preseason Poll: The Ferris State women's basketball squad was picked to finish fifth in the 2011-12 GLIAC North Division Preseason Media Poll. The Bulldogs received 83 points in voting by members of the media across the league. Defending national runner-up Michigan Tech was tabbed to win the division after claiming the league crown last year with Ashland picked first in the GLIAC South poll. FSU was the only team to beat Michigan Tech in league play a year ago (1/20/11) as the Bulldogs posted a 63-60 victory at FSU's Jim Wink Arena.

* Last Season: The Bulldog women's basketball squad wrapped up the 2010-11 campaign with a 13-13 overall record. Last year marked the 14th time in the last 15 seasons the Bulldogs have registered double-digit wins in a campaign. FSU placed fifth in the GLIAC North Division standings with an 8-11 league record.

* GLIAC Standings: The Bulldogs are first and have claimed the GLIAC North Division with a current 15-2 league record. Michigan Tech is second (12-5). Meanwhile, Ashland leads the GLIAC South and is the only unbeaten team with an 18-0 mark in conference play going into the week.

* The Records:Ferris State (18-5, 15-2 GLIAC) has won 16 of its last 19 outings to date this campaign and leads the GLIAC North Division standings with a 15-2 league mark. Prior to the last two years, the Bulldogs had made 10-straight GLIAC Tournament appearances and advanced to the semifinals for the third-straight year in 2008-09.

Hillsdale (14-11, 10-8 GLIAC) heads into Wednesday's final regular-season game with a 14-11 mark and is 10-8 in conference action. The Chargers have won four of their last five games overall and beat Saginaw Valley State 72-63 on the road this past Saturday (Feb. 18).

Grand Valley State (10-15, 7-11 GLIAC) had lost seven games in a row prior to a 72-55 league road win at Wayne State on Saturday (Feb. 18). Saturday's tilt is the Lakers' only game this week and marks GVSU's regular-season finale.

* The Coaches:Ferris State – Tracey Dorow (Western Michigan, 1996), 14th season, 226-161 (.584). Dorow presently ranks as Ferris' all-time winningest coach. She guided FSU to a 22-7 mark and the school's first NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tourney appearance in 1999-00. She spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Lake Michigan College (1994-97) and one season at Indianapolis (1997-98). She also directed FSU to an NCAA Tourney berth in 2003-04 and the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen in 2006-07.

Grand Valley State – Janel Burgess, (Iowa State, 1998), 5th year at GVSU. Burgess came to GVSU after three years as an assistant at Missouri State, four years at Michigan State and one year at Maine. Burgess led the Lakers to a 16-12 mark her first season followed by a 20-
10 record and a berth in the NCAA-II Tourney in 2008-09.

* GLIAC Champions: Ferris State officially won the GLIAC North Division Championship in outright fashion with a grueling 80-72 league win over Findlay on Saturday (Feb. 18) at UF's Croy Gymnasium in Findlay, Ohio. FSU had previously clinched a share of the crown with a 81-63 road win at Wayne State on Thursday (Feb. 16) in Detroit. The title is the second in school history and first in outright fashion after sharing the crown in 1999-00.

* Final Home Game: The Bulldogs' final regular-season home game is Wednesday versus Hillsdale at Jim Wink Arena. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (ET) and FSU will honor its three seniors after the game, including Lindsey Pettit, Kelsey DeNoyelles and Tricia Principe.

* Rankings Note: Ferris dropped out of the national rankings last week after being 25th two weeks ago prior to a loss to Ashland. FSU was the top team receiving votes in last week's poll with 51 points. Ferris was sixth in the initial NCAA-II Midwest Regional Rankings last week.

* Series History vs. HC: Ferris holds a 33-23 series edge entering Wednesday's game versus Hillsdale, but dropped a 81-62 road decision last year (12/7/10) at HC's Jesse Philips Arena in the last matchup. FSU previously osted a 69-60 home win two years ago (2/4/10) at FSU's Jim Wink Arena. The Chargers have won 11 of the the last 18 series' matchups overall.

* Series History vs. GVSU: GVSU holds a 53-26 advantage heading into Saturday's 80th encounter. The Lakers have claimed 11 of the last 19 series' matchups, but fell to FSU 58-50 earlier this year (1/28/12) in Big Rapids. Last season, the two teams split a pair of games as GVSU posted a 69-62 win over FSU (1/29/11) in the "131 Showdown" at Van Andel Arena. However, FSU came back to record an exciting 65-62 triumph over GVSU in last year's regular-season finale (2/26/11) at Jim Wink Arena. Ferris has posted five wins in the last 10 series' games and current FSU head coach Tracey Dorow has beat Grand Valley State 14 times in her head coaching career to date.

* Scouting Hillsdale: Hillsdale is currently 14-11 overall and 10-8 in league play heading into their final regular-season game on Wednesday. The Chargers have won four of their last five games overall and beat Saginaw Valley State 72-63 on the road this past Saturday (Feb. 18). Senior guard Chelsea Harrison leads three players in double-figure scoring with a 16.2 points per game average. They are guided by 10th-year head coach Claudette Charney.

* Scouting GVSU: GVSU holds a 10-15 overall mark and is 7-11 in the GLIAC entering Saturday's regular-season finale. They had lost seven games in a row prior to a 72-55 league road win at Wayne State on Saturday (Feb. 18). Saturday's tilt is the Lakers' only game this week. The Lakers were 20-8 overall last season and second in the GLIAC North with a 13-6 league mark. Junior forward Briauna Taylor is the Lakers' leading scorer on the year at 15.2 points per game.

* FSU Cracked Rankings: The Bulldogs were listed 25th nationally two weeks ago in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll administered by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The ranking marked the first time FSU had been ranked nationally since finishing 25th in the final poll of the 2006-07 season. That poll was released at the end of the 2006-07 season in which Ferris State reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen by winning a pair of games in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Additionally, FSU's ranking represented the first time the Bulldogs had been found among the nation's top 25 teams in a WBCA regular-season poll in almost 12 years. The Bulldogs last were ranked in the regular-season at the 22nd spot on Feb. 29, 2000.

* Ten Wins Again: With 18 wins this season, the Bulldogs have now failed to win 10 games in a season only twice in the last 21 years and only once under coach Tracey Dorow. FSU had reached double-digit victories 13 consecutive seasons prior to 2009-10. The Bulldogs bounced back to win 13 games a year ago.

* Key Note: FSU finished league regular-season play this season with a perfect 6-0 mark against the GLIAC's three schools from Michigan's Upper Peninsula in LSSU, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. It marked the first time in school history the Bulldogs had posted a clean sweep over all three U.P. teams in the same season.

* The Bulldog Tradition: The Ferris State women's basketball program, which starts its 37th season of varsity competition, has compiled a 479-486 (.496) all-time mark. The Bulldogs won their only previous GLIAC crown, advanced to their first NCAA-II Regional Tournament and recorded the nation's highest grade point average in 1999-2000. FSU, which claimed GLIAC Tourney runner-up honors in 1999-00 and 2003-04, has posted 10 wins or more in 14 of the last 15 seasons.

* Coaching Staff: Ferris head coach Tracey Dorow returns the bulk of her coaching staff for the 2011-12 campaign. Kurt Westendorp returns for his second campaign as the assistant coach. He formerly spent three seasons as the assistant coach at NCAA Division III Albion. The Bulldogs' staff this season again includes Dorow's father, Rick Bloodworth, as a volunteer assistant coach for the sixth season. Former Bulldog players Becci Houdek and Caitlin Carmody are serving as student assistants.

* Key Note: Bulldog senior guard Tricia Principe currently has scored 992 career points and needs only eight more to become just the 15th player in school history to reach the 1,000 career points mark. Principe was tabbed as this week's (Feb. 20) GLIAC North Division Player of the Week after averaging 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists to help the Bulldogs secure the GLIAC North Division Championship with two road wins last week.

* GLIAC Leaders: FSU is first in the league this week in field goal % defense (.364) and rebounding defense (29.9 pg.). FSU is also second in three-point % (.362), field goal % (.438), rebound margin (+9.4) and free throw % (.771). Senior Tricia Principe ranks second in free throw % (.907) while Christina Branch is seventh in rebounds (8.0 pg.). Sarah DeShone is listed third in assists (4.7 pg.), eighth in steals (1.9 pg.) and ninth in scoring (15.1 pg.).

* Player Of Week: Bulldog senior guard Tricia Principe averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists to help the Bulldogs secure the GLIAC North Division Championship with two road wins last week. For her efforts, she was named the GLIAC North Player of the Week. The 5-9 Principe shot 58% (11-19) from the floor, made nine-of-14 (.643) three-pointers and connected on 11-of-12 (.917) free throws in the two contests. She recorded 42 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the two games. Principe scored 15 points and grabbed seven boards in Thursday's 81-63 win at Wayne State. Finally, she tallied a game-high 27 points and had seven boards in FSU's title-clinching 80-72 triumph at Findlay on Saturday. Principe made seven-of-eight free throws, all in the final 58 seconds, to ice the win over the Oilers.

* The GLIAC Tourney: The Bulldogs have clinched a berth in the 2012 GLIAC Tournament. The quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at four campus locations. The top four seeds regardless of division will host opening-round games with the official pairings released by the league office at the conclusion of regular-season play. The top remaining seed will host the semifinals/finals on March 3-4.

* Season Of Firsts: The FSU women's basketball team is one of three Bulldog teams currently in first place in their respective conference races. The men's hoops team enters the week tied for the GLIAC North lead while FSU Hockey has already claimed at least a share of the CCHA Championship and is ranked first in the nation in D1 hockey this week.

* Senior Trio: FSU's senior trio of Tricia Principe, Lindsey Pettit and Kelsey DeNoyelles have currently combined for 2,092 career points along with 916 rebounds and 413 assists heading into Wednesday's "Senior Night" game. Principe has scored 992 points with 383 boards while Pettit has 392 points and 213 rebounds. DeNoyelles has added 708 points with 320 rebounds. They have also helped lead FSU to only the school's second-ever league title and first since the 1999-00 campaign.